


Late Nights

by FearFactory



Category: Death Note
Genre: M/M, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 21:30:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8463634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FearFactory/pseuds/FearFactory
Summary: "Near?"The words of the aggressive blonde were soft for once, breaking through the silence of the dark room.The younger boy did not respond. He was staring at the ground, avoiding the elder’s gaze at any cost.Mello sighed and spoke the younger boy's name again, his tone showing a little bit more of that aggression he was known for.
(sorta old work, the ending is rushed, but I hope someone likes it)





	

"Near?"  
The words of the aggressive blonde were soft for once, breaking through the silence of the dark room.  
The younger boy did not respond. He was staring at the ground, avoiding the elder’s gaze at any cost.  
Mello sighed and spoke the younger boy's name again, his tone showing a little bit more of that aggression he was known for.

Near finally looked at Mello. The room was dark, yet the blonde could make out that Near's face was wet. Tears. Near had cried.  
Mello bit his lip, unsure of what to say to this new side of Near. He decided to ask him a question.  
"Why were you crying?" He asked, studying the boy's face. He got no answer.

Mello had been walking back to his room, around eleven or so, when he passed Near's room. Passed Near's room and heard a sob. Curiosity had gotten the best of him and he had knocked on the sturdy wooden door. After receiving no answer, aside another sob, he had entered the room, finding Near, curled up on his bed, crying.   
The sight ought to have made him happy. It did not. Instead, he felt strange. Strange seeing such an emotionless wall cry.  
So, he had sat on the bed and spoken to the boy.

Mello sighed again and placed his hand on the smaller boy's shoulder, gently. The boy tensed, not used to physical contact.  
"Near, I can't help you, if you don't tell me what's wrong." He spoke again, trying his best to make his harsh voice seem soft.   
Even if that kind of response was to be expected, Mello was still surprised when Near whispered soft, yet cold words into the night, his voice shaking a little. "Mello will only laugh at me. Mello does not wish to help."   
Mello stayed silent. Near was almost always right, but not this time. This time, Mello was not in the mood to mock the boy, who was already fragile enough.

"Near, I do want to help. I won't laugh." He paused, thinking if he himself would believe those words, after years of torment. Probably not.  
Near was silent for a while and Mello caught a glance of a tear rolling down the boy's cheek.  
He hesitated, but reached forward and wiped the boy's cheeks with his sleeve, in an attempt to comfort him.

"Alright, Mello, I'll tell you." Near spoke up, his voice still shaking.  
"I'm tired, Mello."  
The blonde was confused, even expressing it on his face.  
"Tired?" He asked, watching Near with a curious gaze.  
"Yes. Tired." Near paused, as if contemplating whether or not to go on. Apparently he had decided to trust the older boy, as he spoke again.  
"I'm tired of all this." He gestured towards the room he slept in. "I don't want to be here anymore." His voice was steadier now and showed less emotion than before.  
Mello was not sure what he meant. Was Near trying to confuse him on purpose? To feel smarter?  
Mello sighed. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Near." He felt his cheeks warming up as he admitted it, ready to send a flow of harsh words at Near, if he were to give any sign that this was planned.   
He did not.

"I apologize, Mello. I am just speaking nonsense. Please go back to your room." Near looked away, waiting for the blonde to leave.  
"Are you sure, Near? You seemed quite upset." Mello inquired, slowly standing up.  
"Yes. Thank you for checking up on me. It was very kind of Mello." Near's voice softened a little at the last sentence and Mello could not help but feel a bit relieved that the boy held no malice in his words.   
"If you say so, Near." He headed for the door, even opening it before speaking again. "Goodnight." He couldn't help but think about the way the words sounded when he closed the door behind him. Did they sound too forced?  
He shook that thought out of his head. He and Near were rivals. It did not matter whether or not his words sounded forced.

With that in mind, he crept to his own room and lay down on his bed. However, his thoughts kept returning to Near's words.  
"I'm tired, Mello"   
That was what Near had said. It was such an odd thing to say, even more so to cry about.  
But Near was odd anyway, wasn't he?  
Yes. Near was odd.  
Repeating that in his head, Mello finally fell asleep.

Days had passed. The two had bumped into each other and even held a few hallow conversations every now and them but neither had mentioned that night.  
That night when Near cried.

Mello stared at the boy across the room. Somehow, he was not as angry at him as usually. Maybe seeing Near so upset had affected him? He just couldn't bring himself to glare at the boy as he did every other day when he was bored in class.  
Matt sat next to him, scribbling onto a loose piece of paper. Carefree as always.

Mello tore his eyes from the smaller boy, who was staring out the window. He had better things to deal with than think about that stupid kid.   
Did he?  
Yes. He did. Especially the results of the exams from the previous week.   
He had studied a whole week for it and was sure that his scores would be impressive.  
Would it?   
After all, Near had the tendency to beat him, no matter what he did.  
His whole life goal was to beat the boy and stand in victory as the boy realized his failure.

Matt often commented that the rivalry between the two was stupid. "It's a one-sided one anyway" he tended to say.  
Yes, maybe it was. But Mello was competitive.   
"Competitive and violent" Matt often said. That may also have been true.

As the bell rang, Mello stood up, sweeping his items into his bag carelessly. It was the last lesson of the day and he would get to go back to his room and lie in bed. Most likely studying or reading.

As he headed towards the staircase, he heard chattering, which was not uncommon. Yet, something stopped him in his tracks. The mention of Near.  
Silently, he made his way towards a group of student gathered around something. With no care, he pushed a few people out of his way, ignoring their comments about his manners. He saw a piece of paper on the wall and walked over to it. It was exam scores. He looked for his name and found it quickly.  
First place. A perfect score. He smiled to himself. It was his victory.  
His eyes jumped to the 2nd place, searching for Near's name and a score that said he missed a point. No such luck. He raised a brow and looked further down the list.  
There it was.  
4th place.  
He had missed 5 points.  
Near had missed 5 points and was 4th.  
Mello frowned and his darted to another piece of paper, showing the results of another exam they had taken a few days ago.  
He was first yet again.  
Near was 3rd.

An arm wrapped around his shoulders.  
"Good job, Mells!" Matt exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "You beat the pipsqueak!" He added.  
Mello nodded.   
"Yeah. It appears so." His eyes were still on Near's name on the 4th place. Tearing his eyes from the piece of paper, he faked a victorious smirk. "Not that I'm surprised."   
Matt chuckled and nodded.  
"Wanna celebrate with a few game sessions?"   
Before he could answer, Mello was dragged away by his friend.

"Dude, are you going to play or what?" Matt's voice broke through Mello's thoughts, hiding a hint of playful annoyance.  
"I am playing, Matt" Mello muttered, staring at the screen of the TV.  
"Yeah. Because mindlessly moving the controller is playing"   
Mello could almost feel the redhead rolling his eyes as he spoke. Mello simply stayed silent.  
"C'mon, Mells. You know you can tell me when something's wrong." Matt spoke again. "I'm your friend." He added, staring at Mello.  
"Nothing's wrong." Mello muttered, his eyes fixed on the 'Game over' screen.  
"Bitch please." Matt crossed his arms. "I know when something's up. I may not be as smart as you but I can figure out things about my best friend."

Mello sighed and looked at his friend with a slightly annoyed expression.  
"Matt, nothing is wrong with me."  
Matt studied his friend's face for a while.  
"Fine." Matt sighed and grabbed his controller, ready to play another round.  
Mello smiled a little, as he had won.

Mello leaned on the window sill, watching the garden which was almost completely engulfed in darkness.   
He was not tired, for some reason. That reason being his thoughts.  
He couldn't stop thinking about the exam results.  
Instead of being happy that he beat the younger boy, he was confused.   
Near never got scores as low as this.  
Of course, anyone else might have considered five points nothing on a 50 point exam, but not Mello.  
Not Near.  
Speaking of Near, where had the boy even disappeared to after class?  
He was certain that the boy had not been in the group gathered around the results.  
Had he gone to bed?  
Mello tried to shrug the thought off. Why would he care what the brat was doing after class?  
He didn't know.

Mello let out a sigh, as he opened the window. He needed fresh air.  
As the cold breeze of the night hit his face, he smiled a little.  
Relaxing again, the blond ran a hand through his hair.  
"Stupid Near" he muttered to himself, as he was about to close the window.  
Before he could close the window, however, he saw someone exit from a side door.  
The boy frowned and stayed silent as he watched the figure creep away from the building, making their way to an old tree that decorated the garden.  
The figure was dressed in all white.  
Near.

Mello observed as Near sat down, back against the bark of the tree and stayed there.  
The blond glanced at his thermometer. It was certainly too cold to be outside in only pyjamas.   
For a while, the boy watched, not sure if he should call out and demand that the other go inside.

Eventually, he walked away from the window and grabbed a jacket. He would not let that fool stay outside and ruin his health. Not that he cared.  
He could just show how great of a person he was. Yes. That's right.

He pushed the door open silently and crept downstairs, making his way to the front door.   
As he exited the mansion, he saw near, with his back to the door.  
Mello sighed and closed the door quietly, before making his way to the other's small figure.

As he neared the boy, he could see that he was asleep.  
Asleep when it was so cold? That would be dangerous.  
So, enemy or not, Mello shook him awake.  
Near was surprised to see the older boy before him, watching him with worried eyes.  
"What were you doing out here?" Mello asked and Near shrugged, shivering a little as a gust of wind flew by.  
Mello sighed in annoyance and took off his warm jacket, leaving himself in sleepwear.  
"Here." He muttered, holding out his jacket. "You'll freeze to death out here in those pyjamas." He added, as if to shake off the feeling he was being too kind.  
Near stared at the jacket for a while before looking at Mello.   
"Maybe that's what I want, Mello." He spoke with that usual calculating tone of his.  
Mello let out a small growl, before showing the jacket onto Near's lap.  
"Stop being stupid and put on the jacket." He told the other, feeling anger boil in his veins.   
What a stupid boy!

The smaller boy stayed silent and complied, putting on the jacket.   
He looked so small and so fragile in it, as it was too big.  
Mello studied the boy who showed no sign of emotion.   
Near just stared at his pale feet, knees up to his chest.  
The blond cleared his throat and spoke.  
"Near. What are you really doing here? It's far too cold to be enjoying the fresh air in pyjamas."   
Near shrugged.  
"I like it out here. It's silent. Rather, was." His words were not harsh, yet Mello could tell that the boy was annoyed by Mello. He had to hold back the urge to shove the boy to the ground and leave.  
"It's silent inside too. Everyone is asleep." Mello's tone was a bit louder than he intended. A bit angrier too.  
"Not Mello." Near looked at the boy next to him, almost smugly.  
Mello simply rolled his eyes and grabbed the boy's arm.  
It was so skinny. So frail. Almost like it could break if he squeezed it to hard.  
"Come, Near. We're going back inside now." Mello spoke, standing up and pulling the smaller boy up with him.  
At first, Near stumbled, almost as if his legs had gone stiff from the cold or the pose he had been sitting in. However, he quickly regained his balance and followed Mello, who was dragging him along.

Mello quickly made his way upstairs, Near tailing behind and headed for Near's room. He pushed the door open and shoved the boy in.  
"Mello." Near whispered his name, before he could close the door. For a moment, his breath hitched and he looked at the boy.  
"What is it, Near?" He asked, glaring at the boy. He didn't have time for this.  
"Here's your jacket, Mello."  
Near held out the jacket, watching Mello with his grey eyes.  
Mello snatched the jacket away and rolled his eyes, before closing the door and marching to his room.

Mello tossed the jacket on the ground carelessly and got under his covers.  
For some reason, his thoughts kept returning to the stupid boy, so he snatched his pillow and threw it across the room.  
Somehow, it calmed him.

The next morning, Mello was more tired than usual, but that was to be expected.   
So, he got out of bed and got dressed, before heading down to the cafeteria and finding Matt.  
The two quickly grabbed their food and sat down at their usual table.  
Matt went on and on about some game he was playing and Mello sat in silence, barely listening.

His keen eyes searched for a certain white haired boy.   
However, the boy was not there. Usually, Near was already there by the time he arrived. Yet today he was nowhere in sight.

"Hey. Mells." Matt snapped him out of his search mode. He turned towards his friend and raised a brow.  
"What?"  
"You were in some weird daze. Seriously. There's something wrong." Matt insisted, indirectly asking for answers.  
Mello rolled his eyes and shook his head.  
"Nothing is wrong. I'm just thinking." He muttered, starting to eat his breakfast.  
Matt stayed silent, eating as well.

The day went by, Near did not show up to any class, nor did he step out of his room. At least nobody saw him do so.

Running a hand through his hair, Mello sat down next to Matt, who was busy playing a game.   
As soon as Mello sat down, his eyes on the screen, Matt paused the game and put down the controller.  
"Have you come to finally talk to me?" The boy asked, glancing at Mello.  
"Oh, what the hell, fine." Mello mumbled and pulled one knee up to his chest.  
Matt sat so he could face his friend and watched every movement the blond made.

"Alright. Near's been acting very strange." Mello started, earning a sceptical look from Matt.  
"Shut up and let me talk." Mello mumbled and his friend just rolled his eyes.  
"A few days ago I was going back to my room after getting a drink…" he trailed off, unsure if he should reveal that Near had cried.  
Matt was his best friend. He could trust him.  
"But when I passed Near's room, I heard crying. So I went to check on him." He paused and Matt motioned for him to continue, not commenting.  
Mello nodded and went on.  
"And sure enough, Near was crying. I talked to him for a few minutes before he told me to leave. It was all so strange." Mello bit his lip briefly.  
"It was strange seeing someone like him…show emotion, I guess." Mello ran a hand through his hair again, mentally noting that he should get it cut.

"I see. Is there anything else?" Matt inquired, watching his friend curiously.  
Mello nodded, before continuing.  
"Last night, I was looking out the window and saw him." He swallowed the saliva gathering in his mouth.  
"I saw him leave the building. He was just in his pyjamas and he sat down under the old tree. And just stayed there, still. I don't know what went through my head but I had to check on him"   
Mello chuckled dryly.  
"He was asleep, shaking from the cold." Mello allowed a small smile to don his lips for a second, before going back to the story.  
"I gave him my jacket and ushered him inside but not before..." he trailed off.  
"Not before he said something strange."  
Matt finally spoke up. "Such as?"  
"I told him he'd freeze to death and he implied that it was his intention." Mello sighed.  
"I was so frustrated; I dragged his skinny ass inside and made sure he got to his room."

Matt gave him a small nod.   
"And now you're worried about him because he didn't show his face around?" He asked, his tone serious for once.  
Mello scoffed.  
"No. Why would I care?"  
"You sure seem quite worried to me." Matt smirked.  
"No, it's just weird that his grades have started falling and he does stupid things like going out at night! His health is fairly bad as it is; sitting outside in the cold won't help him!" Mello vented, crossing his arms.  
Matt chuckled.  
"You care about him" The boy declared patting the blonde’s shoulder. "Why or in what way, I don't care, but I know you do."  
Mello shoved his friend away, baring his teeth in an animalistic manner, causing Matt to let out a short laugh.

"Whatever, Matt." Mello muttered under his breath, getting up.  
"Hey, have you checked up on him today?" Matt asked, before he could leave.  
Mello sighed and shook his head.  
"I don't want to knock on his door with no reason. He might think I actually do care." He glared at Matt. "I don't."  
Matt rolled his eyes and grabbed his controller. "Whatever you say, Mells." He shrugged and continued his game.

Mello simply grit his teeth and exited the gamer's room, making sure to slam the door.  
No way he cared about Near.  
Near was just a brat.  
Still, maybe he was sick?  
No. Even if he was, Mello didn't care.  
He had better things to do.  
Like studying. And catching up on his sleep.  
Yes.

Then why did he stop in front of Near's room for a moment. Why did he consider knocking before he shook off the thought? But he didn't and rushed off, to his own room, closing the door silently this time.  
He sat down at his desk and opened a textbook, viewing over the materials for the next few days.  
Not that he hadn't already read the book a few times.  
Of course he had. But a true successor must be certain of everything.  
With that, he casually tossed the book in his drawer and sighed. He contemplated reading a book, but felt that his mind would be too far away to concentrate on the words.  
Another sigh left his lips.   
Everything felt stupid and boring.  
With that, he kicked his desk and stood up.  
His mind was clouded.  
Clouded with the white colour of Near's hair, his clothes, his face-  
No. This was stupid.   
Near was just a brat in his way.  
It'd be best to just kick him over and walk across him.  
Yet. He didn't.  
Not when he cried. Not when he was outside in the cold.  
Mello helped him.

Mello huffed in annoyance and walked towards the door, grabbing his jacket and draping it across his shoulders.  
It smelled of vanilla. Was that Near's scent?  
The blond growled and shook off the thought, exiting his room and making his way down the stairs. He pushed the front door open and stepped outside. He watched the cloudless sky, calming down a little at the sight of the full moon.   
He closed the door and stepped off the porch, his bare feet brushing against the wet grass of the garden. He let out a sigh of relief.

He decided to walk around the garden. It was large, stretching even behind the building, soon fading into a forest. There was even a lake, but no students under 10 were allowed unsupervised.  
With a shrug, Mello stepped along the small stone path that leads there. Maybe he could dip his feet in the water for a moment or two.

The smooth stones of the path felt good on the skin of his feet, which was a relief.   
He passed the area that was left specifically for flowers. Sadly, it was not the season for any of them to bloom during the day.

There was not much to look at on the way to the pond. The garden was designed to have lots of space for many children. No entertaining features had been added, however.  
Not that Mello could give a damn.

Mello stopped in his tracks, as the lake was in sight.  
It appeared as though someone else had also gotten the idea that swimming during the dark would be fun.  
That someone being Near.  
The moon kissed his pale skin, almost making it glow. His hair was shining, just like his skin.  
He looked like a godlike entity.  
Near stood on the diving board, wearing a large coat on his frame.  
Mello frowned, silently closing in on the pond, his eyes on Near.  
"Isn't it a bit cold to go diving?" He spoke up, taking the boy by surprise.

Near turned to look at him, feet close to the edge.  
"Mello." He whispered.  
"What are you doing here?" Mello asked, crossing his arms.  
"I could ask you the same" Near spoke, still fairly silent.  
Mello rolled his eyes.  
"I'm here to get fresh air and dip my feet in the water, dipshit. What about you?" He asked, watching the skinny boy.  
Near mustered up a weak smile.  
"I'm taking a dip in the water" His feet inched off the ledge of the board.  
Mello's eyes widened.   
"Surely not in this cold? Surely not with these heavy clothes?" He tried not to sound panicked as he spoke.  
Near let out a dry laugh.  
"Goodnight, Mello." He whispered.  
With that, Near stepped off the board and fell.

With a loud splash, he was in the water. He was not surfacing, the clothes clearly dragging him down.  
Mello quickly tore off his jacket, carelessly tossing it aside.   
He dove into the water, taking a deep breath.

It took him longer than he thought it would to reach Near's body. It was at the bottom.  
Clearly he had stuffed his coat with heavy items.  
Mello clung to Near's body to keep from floating up, as he unzipped the coat and tore it from Near.   
He grabbed the boy in his arms and swum upwards.   
It was not too difficult, as Near was certainly underweight. He had to be, considering his weight, water or not.

Mello surfaced with the boy and swum to dry land.  
In a panicked manner, he checked the boy's pulse. He was alive.  
Mello did his best, to force the water out of the boy's system and was relieved when he coughed up water.  
Mello grabbed the boy by his shoulders and shook him, shouting countless slurs.  
The boy was shaking.  
He was cold.  
Mello sighed and wrapped the boy up in his jacket, before picking him up and heading inside.  
He planned on dragging the idiot's skinny ass to the nurse.  
Near made no sound or movement as he was carried. He only closed his eyes and relaxed.

The blond couldn't give a damn about the fact his clothes were dripping, wetting the floors of the building.  
All he had to do was getting the stupid boy to the nurse.  
The said boy was still shaking a little and had clenched his eyes shut.  
Mello sighed.

From underneath the door, a dim light shone. The nurse's office always had someone around, ready to take care of injured people.   
At Wammy's house, anything could happen. So many genius kids all at the same place. They were smart but still KIDS after all.  
Mello focused Near's weight on his left arm and knocked on the door.  
He heard a chair being pushed back and light steps making their way to the door.  
The door was pushed open. A middle aged woman watched the two boys with a curious gaze.  
Mello stepped inside, ignoring the woman's stare and placed the smaller boy on a bed.  
"He fell in the lake. Almost drowned." Mello spoke, still slightly angry at Near for what happened.  
Even so, he felt as if the nurse should not know the clear details.  
Not until he knew, at least.

The woman scrambled away from the door and started checking up on Near.  
"Shall I leave him with you?" The blond asked, crossing his arms.  
"Yes, go get changed and get in bed before you catch a cold." The woman waved him off, muttering something about Near's condition.

Mello was almost out of the door when the woman stopped him.  
"On second thought, could you perhaps bring him fresh clothes as well?" She asked, looking up from the unconscious boy.  
"Why me? I have better things to do than deal with his stuff." He said in annoyance. The woman gave him a look.  
Mello sighed and agreed, before closing the door and hurrying to his room and getting changed into his pyjamas.   
He quietly left his room and headed for Near's.

He pushed the door open and crept inside. Thank god everyone was already asleep- he thought, as being seen near his enemy's room, would be rather odd.  
He flicked the lights on and took a good look at Near's room.   
The previous time he had been there it had been dark and nothing could be seen.  
It was not much different in the light.

A stack of books stood neatly on the otherwise empty desk. Mello looked over them.  
All of them were books they needed for school. All but one.  
Mello picked up the different book. It looked old and worn out. Clearly not one from Wammy's library.  
Mello tried to read out the title but saw none.   
He opened the book and was surprised to see that it was in French.  
Of course. Most kids were fluent in French, but it was usually still a disliked language among them. With the exception of a few, that is.  
The blonde flipped through the pages and set the book down, still unsure of its title.

Remembering what he came into the room for, he headed for the plain, white closet in the corner of the room.  
He opened the doors and was not surprised to see stacks of white shirts and pants. Most being pyjamas.  
He shrugged and grabbed the first pair pyjamas he could and was about to close the door when something caught his eye.  
He left the door open and pushed aside the few shirts covering it.  
As he thought, it was a bottle of pills. From the look of it, sleep medication.  
Mello frowned.  
Was Near an insomniac?  
Perhaps.  
Mello shook it off and tossed the pills back among the clothes and closed the door.

He turned off the lights and quietly made his way back to the nurse's office.  
The woman smiled and offered him some tea, which he accepted, feigning an uncaring look. Deep down, though, he was grateful. The water of the lake had been cold and a cup of tea might make him feel warmer.  
It did.

"So, Mello." The woman spoke as she started unbuttoning Near's wet shirt.  
Mello didn't say anything, just watched.  
"What exactly happened?" She asked, looking at the blond boy.  
Mello bit his lip.  
"I went for a walk to the Lake. He was there, sitting on the diving board. I spoke to him and it must have scared him, because he fell off and into the lake." Mello looked at the ground.  
"He was wearing a large coat. It dragged him down" he added, unsure of what to tell the nurse.  
The woman nodded and was about to slide the shirt off the boy, when the phone rang. The woman sighed.  
"Finish dressing him, will you? I need to answer this" Without waiting for an answer, the nurse grabbed the phone and left the room. Mello sighed.

He approached the boy carefully.  
Near's skin was extremely pale. But he did sit inside most of the time, so it was expected.  
Mello's eyes fell on his face.  
He had such long and dark eyelashes; Mello couldn't help but compare them to a girl's.  
Mello chased the thought out of his head and pulled the shirt off the boy.  
What he saw, frightened him.  
The pale, thin arms of the boy were littered with scars. Old and new. Big and small.  
Mello’s eyes widened.  
He fought the urge to wake the boy and demand answers.  
Knowing the nurse would react badly, he dried up the boy's chest and arms, before clothing him in the shirt. The questions could wait.  
Changing the boy's pants was awkward. He managed, however. He blushed a little during the process, but remembering who the boy was, it died down.

After finishing his task, Mello sat down next to the bed on which Near lay.   
“I hate you so much.” He whispered, brows furrowing as he gazed at the sleeping boy. He was so pale, his lips almost blue. Mello sighed and presses his wrist against the boy’s forehead. It was hot. Mello stood up, eyes darting around for something to drape over the boy. The only thing he could find was the nurse’s white robe. Shrugging, Mello grabbed It and tossed it on the boy.   
With one last glance at the sleeping figure, Mello exited the room. In the hallway, he passed the nurse, who was chatting lively with some friend of hers. Scoffing, Mello headed to the stairs and ran up, his bare feet hitting the carpeted steps with soft thuds. 

Near was ill. Not that anyone at Wammy’s house was even slightly surprised. Mello certainly wasn’t. However, unlike the other kids, he was the only one who knew why. The adults weren’t much smarter. The nurse had old every adult what he had told her. Leaving Mello out of the equation, of course. Just in case.   
Mello was the only one that knew the truth. Well, he had a hard time believing it himself, but every clue led up to that. Attempted suicide. Something like that.  
“Mells, wanna play a round of FIFA?” Matt’s goofy voice cut through the silence. Mello glanced at the said boy.   
“Not really.” The blonde shuffled, sitting straight on his friend’s dirty couch. Matt sighed and got up, turning off the TV. His usual striped shirt of various colours was replaced with a plain red T-shirt, most likely a size or two big.   
“Is something wrong again?” Matt asked, sitting down and facing his friend, one leg folded under him and the other hanging off the couch.  
Mello though for a moment. “No” he mumbled, pushing hair out of his face, only to huff in irritation as a chunk of it covered his eyes again. Matt pushed it away, tucking it behind Mello’s ear.   
“Okay” he mutters, “don’t tell me.” Mello rolled his eyes.  
“Nothing is wrong, okay? Stop acting as if you were a caretaker, you know how much I hate them” Mello chuckled and soon, so did Matt.

Mello knocked on the familiar door. No response.  
Mello sighed and pushed it open, slipping in and closing it quietly. The damn brat hadn’t left his room for days. As if he could stay cooped up there and ignore people for ever.   
Near was sat on his bed, hunched over. Most likely reading, Mello guessed and approached.   
Yet when he got closer, a faint metallic scent hit him.   
“Brat?” He used his usual nickname for the boy. The boy tensed up and shuffled away, rolling down a sleeve.  
Mello raised a brow and sat on the bed.   
“Are you still ill?” He asked. Nothing else came to his mind. Near didn’t seem like he would be in a state bad enough to miss class.   
Silence. Near glanced at him, biting his lip. “A little.” He finally uttered, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive manner.  
The metallic scent was still in the air.  
“Why don’t you come to class? Think you’re better than us, huh?” Mello asked voice harsh.  
The boy looked away, his hands now in his lap.  
That’s when Mello noticed what caused the scent.

Near’s white, long sleeves had specks of red and brown on them, some looking very fresh, still spreading in the cloth.  
Mello grabbed one of Near’s arms by the wrist and the boy winced, eyes darting to see the blonde’s face, wide and scared.  
Mello paid his expression no mind and grabbed the edge of the sleeve, pulling it down.   
Near’s fragile, pale arms had red blood smeared all over it, as if it was red paint splashed on a canvas. The little, thin scars Mello had seen before were replaced with bigger ones.  
“Near..” Mello trailed off, not sure of what to say.  
The boy pulls his arm away, holding it close to his chest.  
“Why did you do that? You think it’s cool to do that?” Mello asked, clearly agitated. Not like the boy would know what’s cool.  
“I’m sorry…” Near mutters, looking down and rolling his sleeves down as well.  
Mello sighed and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.   
“Why did you do that? Why did you jump into the water…” Mello asked, calming down, stumbling over his words.  
Silence. That damned silence!  
“I have no desire to be here, or anywhere else.” Near said, voice clear and unwavering.   
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Mello asked, frowning, yet keeping a somewhat calm tone.  
Near took a shaky breath, trying to not cry.  
“I don’t want to be the next L. I don’t want a future set for me. I don’t want any expectations placed on me…I just want to…sleep for ever…” He trails off at his last sentence, averting his gaze yet again.  
“Why? You are one of the best students, take pride in your intelligence!”  
Near pushed Mello away gently.  
“Just let me be. If I die, you become the next L. It’s always been your wish and I don’t want to take that from you.” He speaks, gently.  
“Idiot! Is that why you’re doing this? Because I’m ambitious?” Mello raised his tone, clearly angry.  
“It’s just a bonus to my death. I have no interest in living. I have no friends, nothing. So why should I stick around and keep being a freak?” Near was crying now. Not in a loud and hysteric way, in a reserved manner, tears occasionally spilling.  
Mello was silent for a while, before he pulled the boy close, stroking his upper back.  
“Near, I’ll be your friend or something…just don’t do that, promise?”  
Near didn’t say anything, but Mello took that as a yes.   
Of course, it wasn’t because he cared about the boy; it was just no fun without competition.  
Who is he trying to fool? Freak or not, he couldn’t let the boy die.

 

The sun was rising. Mello had just had to break Near’s lock to stop him from swallowing half a bottle of sleeping pills. Now, he held the fragile boy close and kept his arm around him.   
“How could you even come up with stuff this stupid?” Mello asks, tone hushed.  
Near shrugged, closing his eyes and resting his head on Mello’s shoulder. 

Their first kiss was perfect.  
Near was standing on the roof, ready to step off it, a fleece blanket on his shoulders. Mello was away. Or asleep. Something like that. Near didn’t really care, he just hoped the blonde wouldn’t ruin his plan again.

When Mello couldn’t find him in his room, he was furious. It always meant the boy was up to no good. It was 3 am. He was always in his room. With a groan, the blonde stormed outside, not bothering to grab a jacket. Sure enough, he saw the boy standing on the roof.   
Wammy’s house was quite a high building, having two floors and an attic, some parts of the roof going higher.  
Near was stood on the edge, clutching to the large cross on the roof.   
Mello cursed under his breath and rushed inside again, sprinting up the stairs and to the ladder leading to the attic. Anxiety, fear, anger; all three flash through his head as he tries to get to the roof. Did Near see him? Did he JUMP?  
After pushing the roof window open quickly and climbing onto the roof, he looked for the blob of white. Near was still clutching to the cross, blanket draped across his shoulders.   
Mello darted forward, grabbing the boy by the arm and pulling him away from the edge.  
“What were you thinking?!” He exclaimed, eyes glaring daggers at the fragile boy.  
Near raised his gaze and stared at Mello, eyes devoid of any emotion. He raised a hand and pressed it against Mello’s cheek gently. It was cold, so the blonde took it in his.  
So they stood for a while, Near holding his hand against Mello’s cheek and Mello keeping his hand on Near’s.   
That’s when it happened. Mello pressed his lips against Near’s. Mello’s lips were chapped and dry, while as Near’s were cold and soft.  
The world seemed to stop as they stood there, lips pressed against each other’s.   
Mello, who had started it, also ended it, by pulling away.  
“Shit, sorry.” He muttered, angry at himself.  
“It’s fine. You weren’t thinking.” Near whispered, not looking at the older boy.  
“Get inside. I’m not going to freeze to death here and neither should you.”

After that night, they avoided each other for a while. Mello pulled back a little on the hostility, but not enough to let rumours happen.   
Near was getting paler and skinnier by the day and it pained Mello. His chest tightened when he thought of the smaller boy. So he spent no time around him.

Mello was walking to his room, when a gentle tug on his sleeve caught his attention. It was Near.  
“Could Mello talk to me in private?” he asked, even though no one else was around. Mello shrugged and headed for his room, opening the door.  
“I guess.”  
Mello averted his eyes as the blob of white walked past him, into the room. Mello followed and closed the door. Near stood in the middle of the room, silently observing his surroundings. Deep in thought as always.   
Mello sighed.  
“What was it that you wanted to talk about?” He asked, crossing his arms impatiently. Near turned to face him. His face was as pal as ever, his face round and eyes big, as natural for a child his age. Mello had decided to think of how young the boy was only now. He must have been 13 at maximum, perhaps 12.   
Near was looking down and for a brief second, emotion was in his eyes. It looked like fear, but Near hid it well.  
“Well? If you’re not going to talk, don’t waste my time” the older snapped, keeping his eyes on Near.  
Near nodded and headed for the door, brushing against Mello on accident. Said boy looked away, waiting to hear the door open and close.  
The soft, small hand twisted the knob of the door and pulled the door open quietly, walking out and closing it, heading for his own room.  
Mello cursed himself. 

Near was getting paler, if that was possible. The teachers had started pointing it out at this point, so Mello snuck a few glances occasionally. His skin looked sickly. Almost grey. The boy showed up lass and less in class. What did he think he was doing?  
Mello decided to follow the pitiful boy when he was heading for his room. If this was some sick way for the boy to slowly end himself, he would not allow his opponent to fall before he beat him.  
Who was he kidding? Near had as much interest in becoming L as he did in socialization.  
“Near?” he placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. It was bonier that he remembered it being.  
Near only let out a hum, as if to ask what the other wanted.  
“What have you been doing?” Mello asked. He never asked about how others did. Stupid.  
Near shrugs. “Studying, I guess. Do you need notes or something?” Near’s voice was dull and empty of emotion. Not like this was unusual, yet it felt harsh. Almost as if they hid a silent anger.  
“No.” He lets the boy go. “I was just curious, considering you look dead.”  
A soft smile found its way onto Near’s lips and he started walking again.  
Mello groaned. What was wrong with the brat now?  
Maybe he was wrong to do so, but Mello decided to just leave the hopeless brat be. This way, he could insure his place as the next L.

Several weeks of cold glares and glances later, he two were back to being known as enemies. Sure, Mello didn’t knock his things over anymore, nor did he bother him with taunts, but he kept a cold wall between them. Near could sulk all he wanted, but he was moving on with his life.

Slamming the door, Mello ran out of Roger’s office. He would not share his position as L. He will defeat Kira himself and become L. This had been his goals since he heard of the man. Near did not refuse to become L, he gladly accepted being the detective, even if it meant working with Mello. Well too bad. He was old enough to survive. He will beat Near and Kira in one go.  
Near was nothing.

 

White hair, white clothes. Crouched on the floor. Surrounded by toys. Sure, he was weird, but what Mello wouldn’t give to see him again. The way he was always polite and patient with the hot-headed blonde. The last time they met, Mello had taken his photograph, yelled at the boy and left.   
A wave of pain hits him. His vision starts fogging over and he gasps for air. He cries out as he fails to do so, eyes wide as his vision goes black.

 

The room is dark, lights off.  
The only source of light is the candle placed on the floor. A bony hand places a blonde haired finger puppet next to the candle.   
A shaky sigh escapes a pair of chapped lips, causing the flame to flicker.   
The young man hugs his knees close, observing the flame of the candle. His eyes were red and puffy, yet he showed no emotion. It had to have been at least two years since the incident.  
“Mello.” He whispers, “thank you.”  
He blows out the candle and stands up, legs wobbling. Making his way over to the desk chair near his sitting spot, he carefully sits on it, pulling both knees up.  
He sighs and turns on the lap top in front of him.  
The room lights up, as countless screens turn on, displaying the letter L.  
The young man sighs and places his fingers on the keys. “For Mello.”


End file.
